In American college football, the University of Florida (UF) is represented by the Florida Gators football program. Florida participates in both the Southeastern Conference's (SEC) Eastern Division and the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). On the university's Gainesville campus, Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is the venue for their home games.
The University of Florida and its football program were founded in 1906. It started playing in the newly built Florida Field in 1930, adopted the moniker "Gators" in 1911, and became a founding member of the Southeastern Conference in 1932. During the first part of the 20th century, the Gators had sporadic success on the field; their 8-1 record in 1928, which led the country in scoring, was a highlight.
Under head coach Ray Graves, Florida football saw its first period of consistent success in the 1960s. Grave's Gators won four in that decade after having participated in just two official bowl games prior, with quarterback Steve Spurrier being the school's first Heisman Trophy winner in 1966.
In 1990, Spurrier became the head football coach at his alma mater, the Gators, and the program has been one of the best in college football since. Since 1990, Florida has won sixteen bowl games, eight conference titles, fifteen SEC East division titles, three national championships (under Spurrier in 1996 and Urban Meyer in 2006 and 2008), and sixteen bowl games.
Additionally, Florida teams have finished the season fifteen times and are ranked in the top 10. Furthermore, in 1996 and 2007, respectively, quarterbacks Danny Wuerffel and Tim Tebow were awarded the Heisman Trophy.
How many National Championships have the Florida Gators won?
The Florida Gators have won the national championship three times (1996, 2006, 2008). Under Steve Spurrier's coaching, the Gators defeated Florida State 52-20 in the Sugar Bowl in 1996. They were AP and coaches' #1 at the end of the season. Under Urban Meyer, Florida defeated Ohio State 41–14 in the BCS National Championship Game in 2006, earning the top ranking in the coaches' and AP polls.
With a 13-1 record, Florida defeated Oklahoma 24-14 in the BCS National Championship Game in 2008, earning the top spot in the coaches' and AP rankings.
When was the last time Florida Gators won the National Championships?
The 2008–09 season marked the last time the Florida Gators had won a national championship in football. The Gators defeated Oklahoma 24–14 in the BCS National Championship Game.
That year, Tim Tebow, the team's quarterback, took home the Heisman Trophy. In football, the Florida Gators have won three national titles; the other two came in 1996 and 2006.
Florida Gators National Championships wins years
Major selectors approved by the NCAA have named the Florida Gators national champions five times. Three of them (1996, 2006, and 2008) have been claimed by the Florida Gators, while two (1984 and 1985) have not yet been claimed.
Claimed Wins
For the seasons 1996, 2006, and 2008, Florida claimed three national championships. The Gators were declared the unanimous national winners following their victory in a bowl game designated as the national championship, and they finished each season ranked #1 in both the final AP and coach polls.
| Year | Coach | Selector | Record | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
| 1996 | Steve Spurrier | AP, Coaches | 12–1 | Sugar Bowl | Florida State | W 52–20 |
| 2006 | Urban Meyer | AP, Coaches, BCS | 13–1 | BCS National Championship Game | Ohio State | W 41–14 |
| 2008 | Urban Meyer | AP, Coaches, BCS | 13–1 | BCS National Championship Game | Oklahoma | W 24–14 |
Unclaimed Wins
In two more years, 1984 and 1985, NCAA-designated "major selectors" proclaimed Florida the national champion. A portion of the national championship for neither season has been claimed by the university, partly due to the football program's NCAA probation in the middle of the 1980s.
| Year | Coach | Selector | Record |
| 1984 | Charley Pell, Galen Hall | DeS, DuS, MGR, NYT, R(FACT), SN, SR | 9–1–1 |
| 1985 | Galen Hall | SR | 9–1–1 |
Florida Gators Conference Titles Wins
There are eight officially recognized SEC football titles that Florida has won. With a 5–0–1 conference record, the Gators won their first championship in 1984. However, the SEC university presidents revoked the title several months later due to NCAA violations by the Florida coaching staff, which was led by Charley Pell.
Though Florida was under NCAA probation for breaking rules under prior coaching staffs, the team was nevertheless able to win the conference with conference records of 5-1 in 1985 and 6-1 in 1990. However, Florida was not allowed to play for the championship. In 1991, the Gators earned their first official SEC football championship.
| Season | Conference | Coach | Overall Record | Conference Record |
| 1991 | SEC | Steve Spurrier | 10–2 | 7–0 |
| 1993 | SEC | Steve Spurrier | 11–2 | 7–1 |
| 1994 | SEC | Steve Spurrier | 10–2–1 | 7–1 |
| 1995 | SEC | Steve Spurrier | 12–1 | 8–0 |
| 1996 | SEC | Steve Spurrier | 12–1 | 8–0 |
| 2000 | SEC | Steve Spurrier | 10–3 | 7–1 |
| 2006 | SEC | Urban Meyer | 13–1 | 7–1 |
| 2008 | SEC | Urban Meyer | 13–1 | 7–1 |
Florida Gators Division Titles Wins
Following the Southeastern Conference's 1992 expansion to include Arkansas and South Carolina, the conference was divided into eastern and western divisions. The SEC champion was decided by a match between the winners of the two divisions.
The most recent of Florida's thirteen trips to the SEC Championship Game was in 2020. As of 2020, the Gators had a 7–6 record in SEC Championship Games. Due to its head-to-head victory, Florida qualified for the 1992 SEC Championship Game and finished tied with Georgia atop the SEC East.
The 2003 SEC Championship Game saw Georgia advance owing to their stronger BCS ranking over Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia's three-way tie after the regular season. In 2012, Florida and Georgia were tied atop the SEC East once more, but Georgia qualified for the 2012 SEC Championship Game due to its victory in the head-to-head match.
| Season | Division | Coach | Opponent | CG result |
| 1992 | SEC East | Steve Spurrier | Alabama | L 21–28 |
| 1993 | SEC East | Steve Spurrier | Alabama | W 28–13 |
| 1994 | SEC East | Steve Spurrier | Alabama | W 24–23 |
| 1995 | SEC East | Steve Spurrier | Arkansas | W 34–3 |
| 1996 | SEC East | Steve Spurrier | Alabama | W 45–30 |
| 1999 | SEC East | Steve Spurrier | Alabama | L 7–34 |
| 2000 | SEC East | Steve Spurrier | Auburn | W 28–6 |
| 2003 | SEC East | Ron Zook | – | – |
| 2006 | SEC East | Urban Meyer | Arkansas | W 38–28 |
| 2008 | SEC East | Urban Meyer | Alabama | W 31–20 |
| 2009 | SEC East | Urban Meyer | Alabama | L 13–32 |
| 2012 | SEC East | Will Muschamp | – | – |
| 2015 | SEC East | Jim McElwain | Alabama | L 15–29 |
| 2016 | SEC East | Jim McElwain | Alabama | L 16–54 |
| 2020 | SEC East | Dan Mullen | Alabama | L 46–52 |
FAQs
A. The Florida Gators have won the national championship three times (1996, 2006, and 2008).
A. Steve Spurrier was the first Heisman Trophy winner for the Florida Gators in 1966.
A. Steve Spurrier coached the Florida Gators to their first national championship in football in 1996.
A. Since 1990, the Florida Gators have won sixteen bowl games.
A. In 1996, Danny Wuerffel and in 2007, Tim Tebow, both Florida Gators, were the winners of the Heisman Trophy.
